New England and The South in the 17th Century

I. New England - High life expectancies, strong sense of families

  A. Puritans

• Salem Witch Trials - Mostly women accused. Undermines clergy. The whole thing makes people question the church
• Halfway Covenant - People that are halfway commited to church are given partial rights. This is done because the church is desparate to keep people committed to the church.

   B. Ideas of Democracy

• Church members can vote
• Against slavery
• Lay foundation for conservative values

   C. Puritans establish Harvard, the first college.

II. The South

   

   A. Indentured Servants

• People who work for a set number of years to pay for passage to America.
• Plantation owners get cheap labor and 50 acres of land.
• This land was initially meant to be given to the servant, but that soon changed and the plantation owners would keep it.

   B. Bacon's Rebellion

• Non-wealthy men lead rebellion.
• Rebellion is eventually put down by government.
• Government realizes that indentured servants could be dangerous.

   A. African Slaves

• Replace indentured servants after the government became afraid of indentured servants as a result of Bacon's Rebellion.